Beckerman: You think you’re up 11 to 10 — it just wasn’t going to happen tonight.

Kyle Beckerman flew a long way for no action during his stint with Team USA last week. He talked to Liviu Bird about the flying and his disappointment at the points dropped in Seattle

Prost Amerika: What was your last 20 or so hours like, after getting in last night?

Kyle Beckerman: I got to the hotel around 2. I just tried to get to sleep around 2:30. Woke up at 8:30 raring to go, and then tried to go back to sleep, but it just wasn’t happening. From then, I just charged some coffee and Red Bull and tried to push through it.

Prost Amerika: Is there part of you that looks at this game and sees two points lost rather than one gained?

Kyle Beckerman: Absolutely, but I’ve been a part of games where I’ve been down a man, and we’ve won the game. I’ve been part of the other way, where you lose when you’re up a man. Yeah, we would have liked to get some points. The keeper made some great saves. It was really important not to give up any goals. We’re above them in the standings, so we keep it that way for another game. But always, you think you’re up 11 to 10 — it just wasn’t going to happen tonight.

Prost Amerika: Aside from relying on a red card, what’s the key to stopping the Sounders attack?

Kyle Beckerman: I think a big thing, obviously, your best defense against them is having the ball and keeping some possession. And just try to limit their touches, getting it into the forwards. They do a really good job with their transition from defense to offense. They break really fast, so it’s important to not be sloppy. We just really try and focus — we know their dangerous players, so we focus on those players. When we focus on those players, we tend to keep them from being too dangerous.

Prost Amerika: With the Champions League game in midweek, will it be hard to change the mindset from MLS to CONCACAF?

Kyle Beckerman: Right now, I think every game has been a big game. We’ve been saying it for weeks now: ‘This is a big game, a big game, a big game.’ Next week’s just another big game, so we’ll be up for it. It’ll be good to get back home with actually something on the line. It feels good, and we’ll be ready to try and put on a performance.

Prost Amerika: What’s it like going from a leadership role with Real Salt Lake to a more back-up role with the national team?

Kyle Beckerman: We’ve been building something here for about five years now, so everything’s kind of second nature now. When you get to the national team, not only is that new for me, but it’s also a new system — new for everybody. It’s an adjustment. It’s definitely a different style than we play here, but it’s just something you’ve got to be ready for. If your number’s called, you’ve just got to go out there and try to do your best.